NASCAR Driver Measures Weight Loss During Brickyard 400
NASCAR racing in Kentucky
Photo: Cathy via Flickr
Experiencing extreme heat causes you to lose water weight, and sometimes at a dramatic rate.
Recently, Casey Mears of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series said that the inside of his car reached 131 degrees. With temperatures like that, one can imagine that drivers could lose a significant amount of weight, even though they are seated while completing the races.
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Landon Cassill, a Team Chevy driver in the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series, set out to figure out exactly how much a racer would lose during a race. He is an active runner, completing 14 miles after finishing NASCAR’s longest race in May and qualified to compete in Ironman events. To say he keeps his body in tip-top shape is an understatement!
Science experiment! My pre race weight, I'm planning on taking in 80oz of fluids in the race, we'll see what I lose. pic.twitter.com/QJ0W071Yz3
— landon cassill (@landoncassill) July 26, 2015
Before the Indianapolis 500, Cassill weighed in at 155 lb. He planned to drink 80 oz of fluid during the race to stay hydrated. After exiting the car, he weighed himself to see that he had lost 15lb! That’s 10% of his gross body weight!
Consumed 110oz fluids & 1100 calories->post race 147.4lbs. That's -15lbs, replaced 7 of it with fluids, net loss 8lbs pic.twitter.com/WsXq6rsvO0
— landon cassill (@landoncassill) July 26, 2015
After that weigh-in, he drank 110 ounces of fluid and ate 1100 calories to gain back 7 lbs, or about 5% of his gross body weight. On Twitter, Cassill stated that he would like that number to end up closer to 3%, so he will probably drink more fluids or eat different foods after races.
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The next time someone tells you to go on a diet, just consider joining a NASCAR team instead!
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